Futon - Finally Some Brilliant Live Music In Bangkok
Find The Cheapest Flights to Bangkok
Book Bangkok Hotels - Up To 70% Off!
Futon are a Thai / English band who've just released their third album "Painkiller". Last night we went to see them play live in Bangkok to launch the album - and they rocked!
Last night we got to see Futon play a free gig at Club Culture, a beautiful converted theatre , to launch their new album Painkiller. I've written about Futon before and I'm a big fan of their records, so I was excited to finally get a chance to see them play live. Futon comprise of Thai singer Gene and guitarist Oh and two British refugees Simon Gilbert (ex Suede drummer) and Bee Futon (ex Psychic TV/Into A Circle), and they have a sublime sound of punk pop electroclash that is at once Western sounding but infused with something distinctly Thai too. There's intelligence, sex, humour and attitude all tied up in Futon's music, setting them a world apart from most of the grim faced, one idea only dullness that passes for music these days. They look the part too, Gene stripping off his shirt to reveal his impressive collection of tattoos while Oh sports a manic grin, New York Dolls tshirt and Flying V guitar.
Futon live [cellphone pic]
Having already played a gig earlier in the day specifically for under 20 year olds (very shrewd), Futon didn't put a foot wrong for the evening gig we saw - they roared through a set of new and old songs that seemed over far, far too soon, and they were clearly having a blast cranking out their own brand of spiky pop. I would name some of the songs but I was too busy bouncing around like a loon near the front of the stage to really notice. Suffice to say that if you get the chance to see Futon play live, grab it - you won't be disappointed. It certainly makes a welcome relief from the usual stadium acts like Christina Aguilera that are Bangkok's staple musical fare. While plenty of foreign DJs come to town, there are very few international bands that visit and even fewer that want to play smaller clubs rather than big arenas.
You can find Futon's MySpace page here with teasers of the new Painkiller tracks and their official site is xfuton.com. There's also a decent Futon Wikipedia page.
Other Travelhappy posts of interest:
- Thai Music Mashes It Up
- Bali’s Gamelan Music, Sydney Opera House, and American Composer Steve Reich
- Cambodian Pop Music: Dengue Fever Breaks Out
- Travels with my iPod
- Khao San Road Hotels on Google Maps
